My last shoot I did for a stock assignment revolved around the simple concept of creating a "baby-boomer" portrait. The premise being that the generation of individuals over the age of 50 is a viable market in the advertising world, with free time and a disposable income.
I wanted to shoot someone in the age group with, what I thought of as a marketable look. Someone who looked aged, wise, but vibrant. I knew that the current imagery that was available for such a category attempts to make the elderly look playful. But usually does this by having them do things that are child-like. It generally makes them look ridiculous. So I wanted to try something different and make them look youthful by using lighting techniques associated with current youth culture. Currently this trend is done by using a flash on camera, snapshot look appropriated by the editorial, advertising and fashion world.
I casted the shoot with a man I had shot before who I knew photographed well. He is someone who takes direction well and has a handsome old-Hollywood look. I decided to shoot at his house, because secretly what I really wanted to try was to create a shot that I could include in my "draught" series that I had mentioned in a previous post. I brought along a makeup artist and decided it would be best if he wore his own clothes. I planned the shoot for the mid- afternoon, because I knew from being at his house before, that at about 4:30 the sun poured right into his front windows. I would get the shot for the "draught" series and then when the light was falling at sunset, I would work with flash on camera to get the other look I was after.
When I first arrived, I gave him his hamburger, fries, and chocolate shake as promised. What I forgot to mention was that another reason he is a great model, is because all he asks for in payment is fast food. As soon as he was done eating, we went upstairs to get him dressed, and while I set the camera, the makeup artist checked the wardrobe and powdered him. I also had her stand in so I could set the composition and get the exposure. The light was perfect just as he entered the room. He was backlit and the rays of sun streamed toward the camera giving the photograph a nice flare. As I positioned him in the frame, I realized something was missing to balance out the image. I thought the photo needed a bit of color and a prop to assist the narrative. I saw a glass chess board that was perfect because it didn't compete with the glass table and I filled a small glass with Coke and diluted it to give the impression of an alcoholic drink.
I shot a couple of variations of body language and, of course, found that the subtle change I had him make on a whim, was the image that looked the best. From there, I could see I had about another half hour of light so I moved fast and decided to make use of the last light in the room. I used the broken shafts of lights to get some closer dramatic portraits that featured his rugged face and piercing eyes. I wanted the portraits to look natural, so I let the makeup artist talk to him as I shot. When I do this, I usually get some unexpected expressions that have a thoughtful taste.
When I got what I thought was a good variety, we went outside to his yard and experimented with on-camera flash. I tried to explain what I was going for, a bit of attitude mixed with some teenage angst. It was hard to get him to understand what I was getting at. I had to actually physically direct him to get what I wanted. I shot until the sunlight dropped on the horizon.
When I looked through the photographs, I was pleased to find that there were images that succeeded to convey the initial visual concepts and a few extra surprises. A few days later, I showed a representative from "Blend" stock images my photos. "Blend" is a company that prides itself on being current and ethnically diverse. She said that the images were interesting. She especially liked the one with the window light because it rested on the border between advertising and editorial. But, she also said that my use of current technological trends (flash on-camera) was not an acceptable way to capture the elderly. She said that elderly people have tot be shot in a certain way that keeps them dignified and respectable. What she finds acceptable, I think is boring and is what perpetuates the status quo. Not a place I want my images to live.
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